UFC Stockholm’s FOX Sports 1 portion features a few well-made matchups and here’s where you can keep track of the happenings from the middle section of the event.
UFC Fight Night 109 took place Sunday in Stockholm, Sweden. Better known as UFC Stockholm, the televised preliminary portion of the card aired on FOX Sports 1. With a main event that saw light heavyweights Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira clash, as well as another 205lb tilt between Misha Cirkunov and Volkan Oezdemir in the co-main event slot, the event was a showcase for the division enthralled with the rematch between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.
The preliminary card, however, was a different animal. With a featured fight between 12th ranked bantamweight Pedro Munhoz and Poland’s Damian Stasiak, it was a chance for some lesser known names to shine
Nico Musoke vs. Bojan Velickovic
Opening the UFC Stockholm FS1 Preliminary card was a welterweight fight between Nico Musoke and Bojan Velickovic. Musoke was able to score a takedown early, keeping Velickovic up against the fence. Able to control his opponent for roughly half the round, Musoke managed to score a bit of damage before they worked back to the feet. Velickovic then utilized leg kicks to set up a left hand, but soon found himself with his leg caught by Musoke. Sweden’s Musoke was able to push his opponent back up against the fence but could not finish the takedown. Back in the center of the cage, however, he was able to catch Velickovic with a solid punch prior to round’s end. Musoke was clearly up after the first round.
Round two saw Musoke attempting a couple of high kicks while Velickovic landed a leg kick of his own and tried to change angles. Leg kicks seemed to be Velickovic’s best avenue of attack, but did not allow the Serbian fighter move inside on Musoke. A creative rolling leg kick by “Serbian Steel” followed. With two minutes left in the second round the pair began opening up and engaging more, exchanging single punches and combos. Velickovic then managed to score a takedown, but couldn’t keep Musoke down long. The Swede would later clip his opponent with a punch, dropping him ever so briefly to the canvas. An elbow thrown by Musoke as the clinch broke would end the round.
In the third, Velickovic continued throwing inside leg kicks to set up his combos, as Musoke looked to counter. Musoke would shoot in, but nearly gave up his neck. The pair scrambled back to their feet to the crowd’s approval. Striking from that point forward seemed to become more and more even, with the Serbian Velickovic looking the fresher of the two fighters. With under thirty seconds Velickovic landed a counter right that wobbled Musoke, and the Serb rushed in to finish the job! Velickovic captures the stoppage in a fight that would have been awfully close on the judge’s scorecards.
In the post-fight interview, an extremely classy Bojan Velickovic dedicated the fight to the victims of the Manchester attack.
Reza Madadi vs. Joaquim Silva
A lightweight showdown between Reza Madadi and Joaquim Silva followed on the FS1 prelim card of UFC Stockholm. Both men possessed the capability to knock the other out, and Silva looked to be head hunting early. Madadi then landed a takedown, but couldn’t keep his opponent down. Just prior to the midway point Madadi landed a second takedown, and this time he was able to control Silva on the canvas, working from inside his guard. Madadi was able to posture up briefly and land some strikes, but Silva did a good job with his closed guard, keeping Madadi close and preventing him from creating any space to work with.
Round two opened with a Silva heel kick that put Madadi off-balance. Silva was then caught by a Madadi punch. Madadi managed to shoot in for a takedown, but Silva jumped right back to his feet in a scramble. Silva looked to be loading up on his punches, and began to work over Madadi against the cage. Madadi answered back with a spinning elbow. He followed moments later with another spinning attack, missed, but was able to land a short punch as Silva was caught in motion. Silva began working the body, as he’d hurt Madadi with an earlier kick. Madadi seemed to have slowed a step with a minute or so left in the second. Yet he was able to answer back, attempt a shoot then land an uppercut off the takedown attempt. Silva whiffed on a jump knee. He then launched a pair of head kicks, one from each side, which Madadi blocked. Another jump knee attempt by Silva missed to end the second round.
Round three saw Silva swarm, picking up steam from how he finished the second round. However Madadi was able to level change and land a takedown, but gave up his neck briefly. That allowed Silva to threaten the guillotine and use that to work back to the feet, only to be hauled back down, then up again. Silva would use a whizzer along the cage to try to prevent another takedown, but was picked up and dropped by Madadi nonetheless. Back on the feet, Madadi looked tired and attempted an ill-advised shoot for a takedown, then was caught coming out of a spinning back fist attempt. Madadi hit the floor, with Silva following and landing strikes from above. However, Madadi was able to escape, regain his feet, and attempt to drag Silva down — only to have Silva scramble to the top. A big bomb from above to the downed Madadi seemed to hurt him, and put Silva in control, landing more strikes from above, then working to secure a guillotine again. Madadi, however, was able to defend, and tried to pick Silva up for a takedown. Exhausted, that backfired as Silva landed on top of the Iranian fighter. The crowd roared as the bell sounded. It would go to the scorecards, with Silva picking up a split decision victory.
Chris Camozzi vs. Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith took the center of the Octagon, threw a pair of right straights, then landed a takedown underneath Chris Camozzi’s first punch. It was a great start for “Hot Sauce” and Camozzi attempted to pull some momentum back with an omoplata effort that Trevor forced himself out of, landing ground and pound on Camozzi’s exposed head. Camozzi withstood the damage and stood himself up against the fence. Smith kept the pressure on and eventually got a second takedown, keeping Camozzi pinned in guard for the remainder of the round.
Smith’s corner asked him to give them another round just like the first, and he did exactly that. An immediate takedown sent Camozzi back to square one. Smith was on him like glue, opening him up with elbows. Smith eventually made his way to mount, forcing Camozzi to expose his back. Camozzi was able to get back to a safe position, but the ground and pound did not stop. A bloody and worn-down Camozzi went back to his stool and his corner did best to spark something inside the struggling middleweight.
One thing did change in round three, Camozzi was able to stuff a takedown, but Smith was relentless in the clinch and did not allow Camozzi to have any separation in the clinch. Smith eventually pulled Camozzi to the canvas after some dirty boxing and Camozzi had nothing left in the tank. Smith did what he wanted from top position, getting to full mount with ease. Camozzi was continuously battered, but did eventually make his way back to half guard. He was unable to get off his back though, and the scorecards reflected that, with two judges giving Smith a 10-8.
Pedro Munhoz vs. Damian Stasiak
Pedro Munhoz and Damian Stasiak started their bout exchanging kicks to the body and legs. There was a brief clinch exchange after a missed back kick by Stasiak, but Munhoz broke free and the kicks resumed. Stasiak went inside and shot for a takedown and Munhoz attempted to counter with his patented guillotine choke. Stasiak stayed calm and broke free, returning to his feet. Munhoz landed a pair of right hands and a knee to the head but the Polish fighter stood tall. Munhoz attempted a takedown of his own that Stasiak stuffed. Near the end of the round, Stasiak initiated a takedown and caused a scramble.
Munhoz started the round with a high kick then landed a thunderous left hand, and a right hand to follow. These seemed to wake Stasiak up, as he began to land solid shots on the feet, including a rarely seen axe kick. Stasiak shot for a takedown and Munhoz went for the guillotine again, but gave up on it and quickly transitioned to the back. Stasiak escaped and got the better of Munhoz on the feet from there. Stasiak was on point with his combinations and stuffed all of Munhoz’s takedown attempts until time expired.
Munhoz rebounded beautifully in round three, landing a high kick to start things off, followed by a combination. Munhoz was landing heavy leg kicks as well. Stasiak landed a combination then shot for a takedown, which Munhoz countered by taking down Stasiak. The referee stood the fighters up, but Munhoz could not be kept away very long. After Stasiak stood up from a second takedown, Munhoz locked up a back clinch and threw Munhoz down. The fighters returned to their feet again and threw down trading heavy leather. Munhoz’s control of the Octagon was enough for him to leave Sweden with the nod on all three scorecards.
Check back throughout the event for updates!
UFC Fight Night 109 Fox Sports 1 Preliminary Card Results
Bojan Velickovic def. Nico Musoke by TKO in Round 3 (4:37)
Joaquim Silva def. Reza Madadi by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Trevor Smith def. Chris Camozzi by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Pedro Munhoz def. Damian Stasiak by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
